Deadbolt
by venator
Summary: A young Blood Knight must chose between retribution and redemption when dealing with a prisoner who might be his wife's murderer. My First WoW fan Fic, R&R. No flames please.
1. Training

Prologue

Silvermoon. Home of the Sin'dorei, a somewhat fair race with a tortured past. It is 6 years after Arthas' attack on the Sunwell, and Quel'Thalas has been reborn. The High Elven race has suffered near Genocide, but unlike their land, the Quel'dorei have not been reborn, only misshapen. The elves are now feeding off of Fel energies, a corrupting force to be reckoned with...and not in an optimistic way. But a new source has come to Silvermoon, The Light, and with it a new order. Now we shall observe one of the order's Knights, and one of the order's prisoners, and how their destinies will be intertwined by murder, redemption, and sacrifice.

"On your feet, immediately!" yelled Instructor Silas, "I want Blood Knights among you!! Not napping Sheep!"

Silas was well trained in the art of the Light...or rather stealing it. Kael'thas had brought a Naaru, a creature of holiness, to Silvermoon. Silas had been a Magister, but had soon jumped at the chance of stealing the Alliance's thunder. He was charged with training new recruits of the Order.

"Hmph... You look like humans... It took you 2 minutes for the lot of you to even stir from your sleep!! How are we to combat the Alliance, the Scourge, and the Legion if you can't stay awake?!"

A young Blood Elf stood shaking in his tunic, fearing the Instructor's wrath. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and stood at attention for orders. Thire wanted the position of Knight more than anything, even relief from his magical addiction. His family, the Blackdawns, miraclously survived Arthas' attack with little casualties. Thire, however, felt sympathy for the other houses in Quel'thalas, and enlisted himself in the Order so that he could help those in need. He would get his chance soon enough, and not in a way the order had intended.

"What is your name, son!" screeched Silas, walking towards the young elf

"Err..um...T-Thire sir.." stuttered the Innate

"Thire eh? Well now, how do you fare Thire?" said Silas with an uncommonly courteous tone

"Sir?"

"How do you fare?"

"Fine sir, Why do you ask?"

"Well, now that you've spoken for the majority, 5 laps around the camp!" Silas ordered

Thire swore under his breath. He just committed the entire group to a good 50 minute run, and himself a scolding from his peers. The road to knighthood would be long and strenuous. The Blood Knights in training ran, most giving looks of distain towards Thire. In all likely hood, the run was inevitable, but the cadets needed to vent built up stress and Thire was an easy target. After the run, Thire sat in the camp's yard, reading over texts on how to harness the light.

"Thanks a lot Blackdawn"

"Do you like to run these marathons, Thire? This is the fifth time we've had to sprint!"

"I bet Silas did this to spite you, Blackdawn"

Thire ignored these retorts, and focused on his studies. One however, caught his attention.

"Thank you, stutters. I needed the exercise." said a voice as soothing as a morning breeze

Thire looked up at the blood elf girl. She stood a notch shorter than Thire, with red flowing hair, glistening eyes, and an amazing physique. Lilena Sunrunner was a cadet the same as Thire, but with more energy and spunk, if you could call it that.

"Excuse me...was that a retort or a thank you?" asked Thire, trying hard to hide his awe of Miss. Sunrunner.

"A thank you, stutters. I wonder why Instructor Silas tortures you so much."

"I come from a higher class family, I suppose.. perhaps the Instructor does not like my house's arrogant nature."

"Whatever you say, Stutters. I'll see you at lunch break." said Lilena as she strode off to the camp.

Thire watched as the young cadet walked, daydreaming over long walks on beaches and romantic dinners in the moonlight. Miss Sunrunner was Thire's object of affection, and he had the intention of making that clear to her soon. But before he could get any further in his reveries, the Instructor hit him over the head with a book.

"Get up, son. You're here for Knighthood, not Bachelorhood. Get to camp, immediately!" shouted Silas

"Ye...yes sir! Right away Sir!!" stuttered Thire.

Thire, along with Lilena, received top honors in their group. Soon they became Knights of the Order, and began their service in the name of the Blood elven race. Thire had been assigned prison guard duty, while Lilena was charged with city patrol. But soon both their lives are going to change, drastically, and for the worst. Thire will have to make the hardest decisions in his life regarding revenge, morality, sanity, and honor.


	2. The Fire Inside

Chapter 2

5 Months Later...

The Moon hung high in the night sky. The stars were their brightest ever, and provided a vivid mosaic of swirling figures and constellations. Calm waves met glistening beads of sand and sediment. It was a beautiful night in Eversong Woods. The wind blew a warm breeze, that gave an enormous feeling of comfort to the land. Two figures walked on the beach on Sunstrider Isle, admiring the sky.

"Its wonderful, Thire..." said Lilena

"I know, I know..." remarked Thire, quite abashed.

The blood elves sat on the coastline, pointing out Warriors and Beasts created by the celestial bodies. The wind blew golden leaflets towards the couple, furthering the majesty of the scene.

"You never lost your charm, Stutters.." quipped Lilena.

"Stutters? You're still using stutters??" inquired Thire with a chuckle

"It fits you. I bet you still get it from Warden Silas."

Silas had become the warden at the Prison where Thire was assigned duty. Thire was a prison guard, charged with keeping tabs on Silvermoon's most dangerous. His job, however, was not absent of the usual interrogation or possible torture. Thire reassured himself, saying that he was cleaning up Silvermoon's streets of these wretched dogs no matter what it takes.

"The warden is a great man. It doesn't matter if I get the occasional 'review' or scolding, because I understand the stresses of his job."

Lilena admired Thire's growning sense of duty and understanding, and she was wooed by his natural charm and integrity. Thire was completely intrigued by Lilena, and had a virual feeling of ecstasy around her. They both knew that they were to spend their lives together, it was just a matter of when he was to pop the question.

"Err... Lilena, I've got to ask you something, and I hope you give me the right answer .." stuttered Thire. "We've only know each other for a few months but, i really think we have a connection stronger that time itself. I feel like our destinies have been intertwined, our fates joined."

Thire reached into his tunic pocket, and pulled out a small black box, gilded in silver.

"Lilena...will you..uh...will you..." Thire struggled to get the question out. "Will you... marry me?"

Lilena sat awestruck. Tears swelled in her eyes, and she went over to the Knight's ear and whispered,

"Yes...Yes, I will.."

And with that, they embraced..

2 Months later...

Thire sat in the guard's room, sipping a small cup of fine tea. His fingers tapped in rhythm, four in a row, as he waited for his shift to end. The room was well lit, with portholes in the ceiling to allow sunlight to illuminate the space. In the absence of sunlight, blue arcane crystals glowed brightly, providing a wonderful shade of azure to everything. This was unlike the rest of the Prison, which was dark, damp, and poorly lit by a few misplaced torches. Thire watched the small mechanical clock tick: 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes... He was almost out of this light-forsaken place and back home to his wonderful spouse...

Until...

A fellow knight burst into the room, starling the other five or so knights.

"Another knight has been injured, quite possibly fatally!" he shouted at the top of his lungs

Thire dropped his tea as he sprung from his chair. The small porcelain cup shattered, sending its contents everywhere.

"What area was this Knight patrolling" asked Thire, with a certain fierceness in his voice.

"I...I'm not certain... some people say she was patrolling the Northern end of the Bazaar..but we don't know exactly.."

Thire stood silent. Thousands of scenarios passed through his head, but in the end he thought of only one thing.

Lilena.

Thire burst out the door and towards the exit. He had not earned his Charger yet, so he ran as fast as he could towards the bazaar. Several crowds slowed him down,but he regained his former speed and sped himself towards the crime scene. Thire broke through the surrounding crowd, reaching the taped off area.

Thire looked in shock. His wife laid on the ground, a large gash in her stomach. Blood was everywhere. She struggled to hold on to life, and by the time Thire had reached her, she had taken her last breath. Thire stood there without words... He could barely believe this was happening. He tried to tell himself that this was some insane dream or hallucination from all the stress his job afforded, but no, this was real.

One of the Knights trying to treat Lilena spotted Thire, and called him out.

"Knight Blackdawn, get over here, we need to tell you what happened exactly."

Thire slowly walked over to the Knight.

"What...h-h-happened exactly..."

"Knight Sunrunner was about to arrest a civilian who had murdered and herbs salesman. In her struggle to apprehend him, he took out his blade and...well, you can imagine the rest."

Thire was soon overcome with not sadness or remorse, but extreme anger.

"I want patrols searching across the city for the man who did this. When you find him, don't kill him... leave that to me.."

Thire went home, blaming himself for her death. He didn't sleep well that night. No one would have slept well that night.


	3. The Warden's Advice

Chapter 3

Daybreak. The morning after Lilena's death. Thire laid in bed, too dumbstruck to get his day started. His usually bright green eyes were dimmed due to the lack of sleep. His hair was a mess, as he was twisting and turning in whatever sleep he did have, reliving the hellish scenario in his dreams.

"I'm going to catch him, no matter what the cost..." Thire said to himself, looking up at the ceiling, "Thats my job right? To protect Silvermoon? How am i to protect Silvermoon if i can't even protect those closest to me..."

Thire was starting to question his quality as a knight. He started to question if he was even going to make it to the higher echelons of Knighthood. Thire re-gathered himself, made himself breakfast, put on his guard's armor, and headed off to his post.

Thire had reached the prison in which he was assigned duty. It was a tall, imposing structure, surrounded by Farstriders and Blood Knights alike. Although the outside retained Silvermoon's beautiful arcane inspired architecture, the inside was iron and metal, with a few staff areas that we're uniquely designed. The prison contained a large armory, which was kept on guard at all times in order to ensure tight security. The building contained several floors. Orange floor was for processing of new inmates, and stood at the bottom of the complex. Red floor contained most of the prisoners, excluding those who were extremely dangerous. Maroon floor contained the most vile of criminals, who had to be separated from standard population for the safety of the guards. Black floor rested at the top, where "interrogations" were operated. Most of the staff worked on the bottom three floors, while the most elite and secretive worked on the black floor.

Thire worked on the Red floor, patrolling the cells day by day, making sure the prisoners were fed and apprehended if anything troublesome were to happen. Today, however, Thire was to meet with Warden Silas for counseling over his wife's death. Thire navigated the maze of corridors in the facility, before finally finding the door marked "Warden". He stood at the door to the warden's office, taking in a deep breath before knocking on the oak frame.

"No need to knock, Blackdawn, come right in..."

Thire stepped into the portal, taking a look around at the office and at the warden. The office was neatly organized. A shelf stood close to the door, hugging the wall. Several hundred works of fine literature were set apon the shelf, all in alphabetical order. The warden's desk was of the finest wood, with several objects placed on its top. The room had a small cathedral ceiling, which held a chandelier characterized by stunning crystals, that reflected light in a thousand different directions. In-front of the desk sat a small chair of mahogany, that faced towards the warden.

"Have a seat. Tea perhaps?" Silas held out a small ivory teapot that ejected steam from its nozzle.

"No warden..I would rather not" Thire responded. He was uncomfortable with the Warden's cheerful nature.

"That's quite alright." The warden placed the pot on the desktop, and turned towards the Knight.

"I understand how you must feel, Blackdawn. To lose one dearly held is wretchedly painful. Hell, everyone lost someone during the assault on Silvermoon, but we pulled ourselves together and moved on. Should we forget those who have passed? Never, but we must remember that there is always horizon of hope over the hill of tragedy. Do you believe that you can scale that hill?"

Thire sat silently, contemplating what his former mentor had said. After a few minutes of silence, Thire replied.

"I'll try my best sir... but this has brought up so many things inside of me... I feel so angry over what happened, I'm afraid i might lose my temper if anything else happens to me.."

"Its only natural, Blackdawn. When we find Knight Sunrunner's murderer, justice will be swift, it will be righteous, and it will be without mercy. He will not go unpunished for his crimes, and you will have your vengeance. Until then, good day Blackdawn."

"Good day, Warden."

Thire left the office somewhat emotionless. He felt that the only way to satisfy his vendetta was to find this vile scum and to imprison him. He was unsure, however, if he was going to be in total control in this matter. He could only hope for retribution.

Entering the guard room, Thire poured himself a small goblet of fine wine and took a seat near a corner. He stared at the wall with a blank expression, leaning his chair back somewhat.

"Are you still sulking over what happened last night, Blackdawn?" said a fellow guard

"Quiet runt...don't you have any respect in these kinds of matters?" quipped an Elder Knight

Thire sat silently, sipping his wine. He tried to focus on the matters at hand: Patrols, the Prisoners, the somewhat insane Prisoners, the very insane Prisoners, and those in-between. He went over what the Warden had said, and if it was relevant or not. Is justice delivered at the end of a sword or spear? Thire did not know, but what he did know was that he had a lot of thinking to do if he was to deal with the problems at hand.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank Python862 for helping me refine some of the story elements. Keep the reviews coming so that I can perfect this story. After this chapter, things will turn dark and violent, and i hope that you can see the struggles in all the characters.


	4. You're not here for the fun of it

Chapter 4

Two days after his meeting with the Warden,Thire slowly walked down the dim cellblock. Red floor consisted of 50 of these cellblocks, all separately enclosed. Each cellblock held 10 cells, 5 on each side. All of these spiraled out from a center atrium, which was topped with a dome. At the center of the atrium was the Guard room, which had several entrances for easy access to the cells. Each individual jail was small, only 8x10 feet, and housed a small cot made of cast iron and a waste receptacle. The door was about 7 inches thick, and had a small porthole for food...if you could call the slimy, tasteless, gray, mush they served to the prisoners food. Thire often heard screams from the various murderers, scam artists, or political enemies. On rare occasions, Thire spotted those who had come from the Black Floor. These prisoners usually wore an obsidian bag over their heads, and were always beaten and blood-soaked from what ever monstrosities happened to them.

"Its for the greater good...its for the greater good...its for the greater good.." Thire mumbled this over and over again, trying to make himself feel secure. He paced up and down the cell block, keeping his head down and his arms behind his back. A cast iron barricade behind him opened, and a stern voice shouted.

"Your shift on this block is over, Blackdawn. Move to Cellblock 64 on Maroon Floor, the warden has an assignment for you."

"Yes...right away, sir.."

Thire exited the hallway and walked to a set of spiral stairs that took him to maroon floor. He found the cellblock, and found Warden Silas and about 5 Blood Knights surrounding Cell 5.

"You called for me, Warden?"

"Ah yes, Knight Blackdawn. I've got something important for you. Inside this cell is Prisoner Number HF-11857-4. He has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of the Transportation of Illegal Substances. We've tried...'Interrogating' him, but he proves extremely resistant to physical means of information extraction. I figured since you are my best Knight that you could get the information we need in a more...conventional way.."

"What is it you want out of him, exactly?"

"We think he might be part of an underground movement transporting narcotics across the city. The drug in particular, Bloodthistle" Silas threw Thire a small packet of confiscated leaves. "Extremely dangerous. The withdrawal symptoms alone are enough to make a man lose sanity. HF-11857-4, however, seems to have resistances against these symptoms. That brings us to our second objective, we want to know how these resistances are acquired so that we can manufacture and distribute a vaccine for regular civilians. Is this understood, Knight Blackdawn?"

"Yes sir. I'm not sure how much of this I'll get to you. He seems to be tough to crack, even under extreme physical pressure."

"Then we shall leave you to your work, Blackdawn."

Silas then whispered something to one of the surrounding knights, the Knight walked up to the cell and shouted to the man inside.

"HF-11857-4, we have a guard coming into the cell! Do you understand!"

A few seconds later, a loud thud resonated through the door separating the man and the outside world. The knight turned towards Thire,

"We'll open the cell up, and you may proceed. Be careful, keep your distance, and knock on the door when you are done with the interrogation. We will keep another guard out here in case anything gets nasty, eh?"

Thire nodded as the Knights unlocked the cell. Thire slowly walked in to find a wooden chair close to the portal, he sat down and observed the man. He was gaunt, wearing prisoner's garbs. His clothes were torn and stained with blood. His face was surprisingly handsome, but scored with dozens of bruises, cuts, and gashes. Both his eyes were sunken in, and glowed faintly due to his captors' methods of interrogation. His long, jet black hair was showing signs of wear, and his skin was pale either due to lack of real food, lack of sunlight, or both. He looked at Thire with a logical stare, showing that there was a brilliant mind behind his beaten exterior.

"Prisoner HF-11857-4. 125 years of age, male." Thire read down a small profile give to him by the Knights earlier. "What is your name, sir?"

The man gave a slight smirk, before giving a cryptic response.

"Do you trust me, Knight Blackdawn? That's _your name_ isn't it?" The man asked, in an orderly voice. The prisoner was obviously well educated, and seemingly had the intelligence, wit, and guile of the Warden.

"Yes, that is my name. But for the record, my name is Thire. Thire Blackdawn. No need for titles here, right?"

"Oh no, Sir Knight. No need for titles. Only an Egotistical man introduces himself by his title. But you've avoided the question, Do you trust me..."

"My post...requires me to say that I do. But personally, I do not trust those who commit themselves to crime."

"Then that little tag you've assigned me will remain for now..."

Thire despised the Man's tone in the matter. He did take into account the fact that this man was a criminal, or quite possibly a madman, but his tone caught him off guard.

"My superiors want information from you, HF-11. We want to know the location and names of the rest of the dealers in your under-"

"What? Dealers? Of what?" The inmate interjected, with genuine surprise.

Thire cleared his throat before speaking again

"The dealers in your underground organization. You know... the ones who transport your insidious Bloodthistle..?"

"Thistle? Why would you want that kind of information from me??"

"You are part of the cartel, correct?"

The man sat on the iron cot, his hand shaking violently. He was starting to lose his calm, cool exterior.

"No...no...I'm not part of any cartel..."

Thire started to lose his temper. Not only did this man have the nerve to talk down to Thire, he also had the nerve to lie.

"Thats not what this says, HF-11... We arrested you on charges of Murder and Transportation of Illegal substances... Not so we could throw you in a cell and torture you! We need this information where you like it or not.."

The prisoner looked at Thire with a disdainful stare. Thire continued listing what he needed from HF-11

"We also need information on resistances to the drug... I was informed that you are not as easily swayed by the withdrawal symptoms, and we need your intel on this. The warden wants to administer a vaccine for the symptoms to the public, that way we can crack down on drug use.. Do you understand.."

HF-11 sat, looking down at the floor, mouthing words. Thire had finally lost his patience.

"Do you understand!" Thire shouted. The man looked up, and gave a quick nod. "Then we are done here..." Thire slammed the door, and the Knight outside opened the barricade. "We'll talk tomorrow, HF-11.." With that, Thire walked back to Red Floor and met with the Warden near the Guard Barracks.

"So? What were you able to get out of him..." asked the Warden

"Nothing...absolutely nothing. He's completely unstable. One moment he's calm and controlled, the next he's shaking and lying through his teeth!" Thire exclaimed, "I think, however, you methods are having some kind of psychological effect on him. If I am to get answers, I need him to be sane..."

"I'm sorry, Blackdawn, but this is how the system works..."

"And it works damn well, I suppose? Hmm? He looked like he had been in the biggest fight of his life before I had questioned him. If you want your vaccine or whatever you are rambling about, hold off on the torture and your black bagging and your-"

"You are out of line, Blackdawn! I **will **send you back to boot camp if you have such an outburst again! Do you understand, Thire? Do you understand!" Silas ensured that Thire knew who was in charge.

Thire frowned in disdain. He spoke through his teeth in anger.

"Yes sir..."

"Then get back to your post. I don't want that kind of talk from my guards, Blackdawn!"

Thire continued his patrols of the Red floor prisoners. He held a certain grudge against the warden that day for threatening him, but if he was to keep his career stable he would have to listen explicitly to Silas.

Later that night..

Thire sat in a large, stuffed chair in his house within Silvermoon. He was reading some books on Criminal Psychology, in order to better understand the Man in Cell Five. He started to wonder about his wife's murderer, and some of the similarities he shared with HF-11.

"Hmm...Double Homicide, drug trafficking...'herbs salesman'... Perhaps... No, he's too unstable to have killed such a skilled Knight, and by his physical features he seems unable to have created such a large wound... Perhaps he serves as a template for what we are looking for..."

Thire gave the idea thought, but was more focused on the task of extracting HF-11's intel. He had wondered why this man, who was so resilient towards beatings and torture, easily broke apart when it came to actual questioning. Perhaps he was emotionally scarred in some way, or perhaps this was some kind of strategy.

"I'll have to keep on my toes if I'm going to end up on top of the situation" Thire thought to himself. He would soon find out, however, that HF-11 was more than he seemed like.


	5. Gods do not play Dice

Chapter 5

A small Oil lamp burned, illuminating the small, cold cell. It flickered a pathetic flame, which only gave light to a few areas. It was kept in an iron box, with a sheet of glass and strips of rebar protecting its contents. HF-11 tossed on his cot. There were no sheets or pillows to provide comfort, just a slab of emotionless metal. 11's back burned with pain, not only from the cot but from his daily beatings. He squirmed with extreme discomfort, before finally sitting up. He had no sense of time in this hellish place. No clocks, no information from the outside. He figured it was dusk, as he wasn't being visited by either the Black Floor staff or Mr. Blackdawn. 11 took a breath of stale air, and let out a hacking cough. He was showing signs of major fatigue He figured if he wasn't released soon, he would perish. He went over the events that got him in here, and spoke softly to himself.

"What good trying to turn my life around did... I'm here, from one prison to another..." He said, looking towards the damp floor.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming towards his cell. He moved towards the corner, shaking in fear that they were going to take him away to another torture session. A small viewing slide opened, 11 cringed. The slide closed...and surprisingly, the door did not open. Instead he heard Room Four open up, and the guards, and the unfortunate soul who was about to be whisked away to some unfortunate fate.

"GH-58741-3, your time is up."

"Wh...What do you mean. I'm being released?? I'm being released!! Praise the light, I'm being-"

11 could make out the sound of the man being silenced by another black bag. He heard the frantic screams of GH-58741-3.

"Get me out of here!! Help! Somebody help!!! HELP! HE-!"

This time, the guards silenced the man permanently. A large crack was heard, and a thud on hard metal.

"Put him with the rest of the refuse... clear his records, say he committed suicide or that he died in custody." ordered one of the Black level staff.

"And if the Warden finds out?" inquired a guard

"The only people who would find this discriminatory are the other races of the Horde... Do not worry about Silas, I'm sure he'll commend you for your fine work."

"By the sunwell..." whispered HF-11. He had wondered if that man was Innocent or not, if he had been wrongly imprisoned. He had wondered if his death had meant anything to the world around him. He laid back down, and said a prayer for the man, before going back to sleep.

A few hours later...

Thire walked down Cellblock 64 with a small brown bag tied to his belt. He met up with a guard, who unlocked Cell Five for him. HF-11 stirred from his sleep, and looked up towards Thire.

"Sorry if I've disturbed you, 11." Thire said, untying the small pouch.

11 gazed towards the Knight for a few seconds, before replying.

"What time is it.."whispered the inmate

"Excuse me?"

"What...What time is it? What is the date?"

"Its about seven o'clock, morning time. Its the third day of the week. Why do you ask?"

"Oh...its just, being locked up in here for so long, you lose track of time. Some people say thats the first thing to go before you start to lose your sanity. I want to be as sane as possible if I am going to survive"

"Good man. I brought you something 11." Thire reached for the contents in the bag, and pulled out two apples; One for himself, and one for the prisoner. He tossed the fruit towards HF-11, who caught it accordingly. "I figured since you haven't had real food in weeks that I would at least end some of your suffering."

11 held the apple in his hands, inspecting it.

"How can I be sure that its not poisoned or drugged?" stated 11

"Well, If you are so certain that I would cause you harm, trade apples with me. Why would I drug my own food, right?"

11 hesitated, before giving his apple over. Thire took a large bite out of the fruit, and with time, so did the man.

"Thank you, Thire."

"You're welcome, sir. But, we both know why I'm here, and that is questioning." Thire pulled out a small notepad and quill. "First off, resistances to the drug.."

11 was a bit more cooperative this time. He finished his food before answering

"Its a combination of spells and herbal mixtures. First, you must apply an arcane enchantment to your self. This will inhibit some of the drug's effects, both addictive and harmful. Second, you will have to take two potions. One is a mixture of silverleaf and felweed, another is a simple health potion. With time, you will build resistance to the drug."

Thire wrote this down in great detail, making sure he was accurate.

"Now, you're sure this isn't some plot to kill off guards and civilians? Are you sure your 'enchantment' isn't some destructive spell?" Thire inquired

"I'll supply the spell requirements. Have your best magisters look over it, I'm sure they will find it sound."

11 said what was needed for the spell, and Thire noted it. They then moved on to cartel information.

"Now, what about this cartel that my superiors tell me about. Does it exist? Are you a part of it?"

"Not exactly, Sir Knight. I wasn't a part of it as I was trying to bring it down. My comrades and I were trying to rip apart the Organization from the inside. We found something out, however, through our intel and undercover work, that these dealers were desperate for a resistance technique. Some of their runners had become addicted, and were dying off too quickly to administer medical treatment. They, in their frantic and confused state, asked me to develop such a system. I did, but I was imprisoned before I could release it to them."

"Were you going to tell them the secret?" Thire asked without removing his sight from the notepad.

"Not exactly. The real system, which I have given to you, was to protect my friends and I. I was instead going to give them a false remedy, that would kill them off faster."

"I see...You were some what of a vigilante?"

"If you could call it that" 11 replied with a smirk "There was something strange concerning their leader, however. Even though we received orders from him or her, this person was always on the move. Some of my sources say he or she is in the upper echelons of the government."

Thire looked up.

"Really now? We're you able to find out what department he or she worked in?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"I see...Well, then. That should be all 11" Thire slammed the door once again, and exited. "See you tomorrow, HF-11." Thire walked towards the exit of Maroon Floor towards administration. He knocked on an oak door, and stood silently for a response.

"Come in" said the Warden, who was pouring himself a small cup of fine Mint tea.

"Good day, Warden"

"Ah, Knight Blackdawn. How do you fare?"

"Fine, sir..."

"I can infer that your questioning went well."

"Assuredly. I was able to get information on the vaccine. Turns out its more of a system really. It was developed for the cartel HF-11 was undercover for."

"Undercover? Is he one of our special operations agents?"

"No, more of a vigilante, if you could call it such." Thire passed the notepad over to Silas

"I see...very good work, Blackdawn, very good" The warden sipped his tea as he read over the report.

"Sir...there is a question I would like to ask..."

"Go right ahead, Thire"

"Do you know...If there are any leads on the man who killed Knight Sunrunner. Any?"

Silas set his glass down while still looking at the report, after a few seconds, he glanced back at Knight Blackdawn,

"Thire, you must understand this but, due to lack of evidence at the crime scene and the fact that this man has been on the run for several weeks, we have decided to end the Investigation into this matter."

Thire sat in his chair, completely dumbstruck. He tried to hold back his anger at the Warden.

"How...how can you just drop a case like that??? She was murdered in cold blood and you stop trying after a few weeks! My wife lies buried, her death never avenged, while you sit here sipping tea!" Thire threw the warden's teapot across the room, where it shattered into a thousand pieces, sending the warden's favored drink sizzling onto the fine carpet.

"That is quite enough, Blackdawn! I will not let your feelings get in the way of the greater good! Yes she was the victim of a horrendous crime, and that is not excusable in any way, but there are more important things at hand! We will pick up the case after we destroy the cartel that is ruining our streets. Until then, I suggest that you put Knight Sunrunner's death out of your mind."

Thire clenched his fist with a fury that could shatter steel. He stared down at the ground as Silas lectured him. Finally he spoke up, he spoke the only words that he could muster.

"Yes sir...I will sir..."

"Then you have finally learned obedience. Get back to your post until you have further information for me." Silas showed him the door, and Thire lurched back to Red floor. He ran into a guard, who was pacing in the guard room.

"Oh,err, Knight Blackdawn!"

"Yes, what is it Knight Silversword?"

"I've..err..I have something of importance to tell you."

"Go on.."

"Well, last night I was working the Late shift and I had to apprehend a prisoner...and well...err.."

"What happened?"

"I was forced to kill a prisoner... Usually thats the norm around here...but I'm not sure he was even a criminal...he looked like someone just picked off the street."

"Did someone order you to do this?

"Err...Yes, one of the Black Floor guards.."

Thire thought to himself. The Black floor guards were under direct orders from the Warden. But the Warden was a just man, how could he order such a terrible thing? And why was this man imprisoned if he looked like he was just a regular civilian? Thire found all of this very odd.

"I'm starting to think that this prison is more that just a holding area for Criminals..."

Thire started to look at everything differently after that day, and started to think. He started to think if HF-11 really deserved to be tortured and maimed everyday. He started to think if he deserved the life that he lived. He started to think, and that was all that he needed to start a chain reaction of events that would shake the very foundations of this establishment.


	6. Setting up the Dominoes

Chapter Six

A cool, calming breeze blew through the spires and streets of Silvermoon. The planted trees in the gardens rustled with delight, as wind chimes sang a chorus of harmony. It was early morning, before the dawn broke, and Thire was sitting on a balcony looking out at the Royal Exchange district. In his hands, a small glass of fine pinot noir that he sipped at long intervals in order to enjoy its exquisite taste and luxurious texture. Gazing at the beauty before him, Thire thought of two things. One, if HF-11 was really guilty of his crimes or not, and Two, if he should have put as much trust in Silas as he did before. Thire had a growing animosity towards the Warden, and felt that Silas was holding him back in some sort. He would have to deal with these thoughts later, however, as he had a job to do, and for Thire, duty always came first. He went down a floor in order to get ready for his day. He opened up a large cabinet, which held an armor rack. The armor was made of pure Adamantite mined from the far reaches of Outland. There was a crimson stripe at the top of the breastplate, near the head, that indicated where Thire worked. Most of his armor consisted of the same shade of crimson, and a gray shade of obsidian. His armor could withstand mostly anything the prisoners attacked him with, unless they had access to the armory, which was highly unlikely. There was no helm, however, as the Warden thought it useless to have a helmet in a prison. The armor also came with a small badge, indicating that this guard was in service. Thire strapped on his armor once again, and sped off to the Prison. He then traveled to the Maroon Floor for his daily questioning of the Man in Cell Five.

"Hello, HF-11" said Thire, opening the cast iron door. Thire walked inside, and looked around. For some reason, the Inmate was not in his cell. "Where is HF-11?" asked Thire to another guard waiting outside.

"He's with the black floor staff. They took him about...hmm...two hours ago maybe?" The guard replied, keeping at his post.

Thire grunted in disappointment. The warden was continuing his torture of HF-11, which meant less answers and more time wasted. Thire kept his patience waiting for the Staff to bring him down. With in a short time, however, he heard the clank of metal boots against iron floor. He peered out the door to see two elves dragging the man, his head covered by a black hood. The two guards took of his bag, and threw him against the cell wall. HF-11 let out a pitiful cry, coughing and hacking in pain.

"You're not going to last much longer, 11...Not at this rate atleast..." said one of elves, clad in pure black armor. He closed the door, leaving Thire and the man alone. HF-11 shuddered in pain, laying there like a lame animal.

"Here...let me help you up, 11..." Thire said, gently helping 11 up to the bed.

"T-t...Thanks..." The man stuttered.

"What did they do to you, 11?"

HF-11 paused, taking in deep breaths of stale air before answering.

"They...they hung me by my skin...until I told them the names of some of the drug runners..."

HF-11's back was pierced in two spots, one near his right shoulder and one near his left shoulder. These marks bled profusely. Fortunately, Thire always carried a medical kit incase of injury, and proceeded to patch up the man.

"Thank you again, Thire... You can't imagine how much help you have been..."

"You're welcome. If you find it odd, I'm probably the only guard here to despises these deplorable conditions."

"Probably. I find that most of the guards don't have much of a conscious or moral compass. You, on the other hand..."

"Heh, just trying to help out. By the way, What is your name exactly?" Thire said, while tending to his wounds.

"Should I ask again?"

"I trust you, I honestly do."

"My name is Haldroun. Haldroun Frostfury."

"You are part of the Frostfury house? I thought they all died during the assault on the sunwell!"

"Heh, I was there when Arthas attacked. I was on the front-lines with the rest of my family. Unfortunately, I survived.."

The Frostfury Clan was one of the most distinguished and honored houses in Quel'Thalas. Their lineage dated all the way back to the sundering, and they specialized in training superb magisters. The Clan was thought to be purged, but no...no, here was living proof of the clan's survival, even if it was only one mage stuck in a dingy prison.

"I'm sorry to hear that. My family made it out alright, though. I only lost my cousin. It must be tremendously painful to have your entire lineage destroyed in front of your eyes."

Haldroun wiped a few tears a few tears from his cheek.

"Yes, yes it is. But there is something about you. I can sense it. You have an aura of mourning about you... but its not directly related to your family is it?"

"No, it isn't. You see, My wife died about two months prior to our meeting, Haldroun."

"What was it from? A disease? Did she pass on?"

"She died while on patrol..."

"I see...Perhaps you need to clear your mind, Thire. Do you have a piece of paper I could use, and a quill as well?"

"I've got a quill, thats about it."

"Good enough, hold out your arm."

Thire held out his arm, and Haldroun scribbled an address in Thalassian.

"Hmm... Why would I want to go there, Haldroun? Its in the middle of murder row."

"You need to clear your mind, Thire. You need answers, and thats where you will find them."

With that, Thire walked out of the cell.

"20 gold buyout for the broadsword you're looking for, Mr. Blackdawn. Bidding starts at 5 gold and moves up in increments of 5." said a shrewd auctioneer.

"I'll take the buyout price then." said Thire, rustling though his coin pouch for the right number of gold.

Thire paid for his broadsword, which was of high quality and able to cut though at least 50 felguards before showing signs of stress. He planned to go hunting with some of his colleges over his work break.

"Thank you sir, come back any time."

Thire nodded and headed for home. He slid the broadsword into a large leather pouch that was tethered to his back armor. About a half a mile from his manor, Thire was sucked into a back alley by an unknown source, another elf by the look of it. The elf held Thire's mouth shut, whilst holding a dagger to his throat. Thire instinctively went for his broadsword, but a voice stopped him from doing so

"Shshshshshshshsh." The voice beckoned Thire to keep quite. The voice sounded awfully familiar too.

"Do I...know you?" Thire asked with a taste of urgency

"I think you do, Blackdawn.." Replied the voice, keeping the dagger tight.

"Warden?"

"Yes, Thire... It is me." said Silas

"What are you doing warden...Why are you holding me captive here in this alley?"

"Because Thire, I need you to do something of the utmost importance for me." The warden slid a neatly wrapped brown package into Thire's satchel. "I need you to deliver this package to the address specified in on the package... Understood?"

"Not...entirely. Why me, sir. You can have any other guard do it..."

"Oh..oh, but I can't, Thire, I can't. You see, you can do this, you _will_ do this because I can trust you. Our little secret, correct? Nobody should know where its going or what's inside. You cannot know what is inside. Understood?"

"Yes sir..."

The warden pushed Thire out of the alley way and quickly ran off to some unknown destination.

"Odd...very odd."

Thire looked at the package. The address was in the Bazaar. Thire took a breath in, remembering what happened in the Bazaar only two months ago.

"Hmm...Mysterious package, Warden...High echelons.." Thire thought to himself, trying to make sense of it all. "Someone needs to inspect this...someone who _I_ can trust." He thought it over, thinking of the names of those close to him. In the end, however, he could think of only one person with the expertise to do what was required...

"Haldroun."

And with that, he sped towards the prison.


	7. Heaven has no rage

Chapter 7

The sky over Silvermoon as unusually dark. Thunderbolts crackled with ominous power as sharp bullets of rain battered the city below. Thire had a large, beige raincoat on over his armor, concealing a large cone shaped object. He was in Eversong proper, not the city, however. The canopy of the woods did little to protect those caught in the storm, but Thire was a man of determination, and could easily fight off torrential rain. He walked down a stone path for a time before coming to a large, cast iron gate decorated with angelic sprites and demonic figures alike. He pushed open the barrier with trepidation, confronting the forest of marked granite tombstones before him. He walked another path, looking at the graves with a melancholy demeanor, before coming to a sepulcher carved of ivory and marble. He removed the cone from his cloak, revealing it to be a gorgeous bouquet of bright pearl roses. He set them at the foot of the Mausoleum before stepping back.

"Hey, Lilena...its..err...Its me. Its Thire, I just wanted to update you on somethings...things have been turbulent since you left..." Thire looked towards the crypt door as his eyes swelled with tears. "The warden has...ended the investigation. I pleaded to him to continue but...to no avail. I remain ardent, however...I always want you to know that." He sighed, looking down at the drenched ground. "I wish I was there... I wish I could've stopped him... I wish we could've been together longer... But wishes are nothing in the real world... Not in this world... I love you, Lilena."

Thire departed, leaving the soaked flowers at his Wife's grave. He tried as best as he could to fight back tears. Eventually, he slumped onto the stone wall that enclosed the dead, and let his sorrows pour out.

Thire remembered all of this. His visit to the tomb only two weeks prior to this day. He remembered the fury and the pain that built up inside of him when he visited that grave. He would not let his feelings get in the way of his investigation, however. He needed to find out what was in the package the Warden gave him. He reached the Prison, and scaled several floors in order to reach the maroon level. He walked with great caution, making sure the Warden wasn't around the next corner. Thire finally made in to the Maroon Floor and ran towards the Maroon Barracks, looking for the key to cell five. The barracks were much different than the Red floor guard room. The wall was colored a dark shade of gray that evoked an emotionless aura. Several guards were seated at tables placed at random intervals. This room represented the dark heart and iron hand required for working on this floor.

"Ah, Knight Blackdawn. Something I can do for you?" said a Knight positioned at a wooden desk.

"Yes, I do. I need the key to Block 64, Cell Five. It is imperative that I speak to HF-11 immediately."

"Really? Hmm..." The knight swiveled in his chair, "Let me check something." The guard went into a small supply closet, and came back with a clipboard marked with days and times. "The warden doesn't have to down for this time. Why do you need to see HF-11?"

"I've found new evidence regarding the cartel. I need to ask him some important questions on the matter."

"Shouldn't you report to the Warden first?"

"I will, after I am done with questioning. I'll be able to provide stronger evidence if I have answers from a reliable source."

"Aye," said the guard. He went to a small keyrack and pulled off a key marked "Five". He tossed the shiny bronze object towards Thire.

"Thank you, Sir." Thire said, heading towards the door. Thire had not taken the package out of his satchel before coming to the Prison. His pack was slightly overflowing when the warden put the object inside, and the large brown box had only made things worst. On his way out, Thire's metal boot hit a crack in the floor, sending him flying. Although he managed to save himself from a bloodied nose, Thire could not reach his package in time. The box slid across the floor, stopping at the feet of another guard.

"What is this Blackdawn?" The knight looked down at the package, then at Thire who was still laying on the ground.

"Err..." Thire tried to keep his composure. He rushed over to the brown wrapped object. "Its a research packet from my cousin... He works in the Stonetalon Mountains. In Kalimdor?"

"Um, Sure...whatever you say chap.." The knight walked away without any second thoughts.

Thire picked up his parcel and headed towards Haldroun's cell. He wiped the sweat from his brow, knowing he escaped a scolding from the Warden for not delivering the package on time. He walked down the somewhat grime incrusted hallway. He unlocked the door marked 'Cell Five', and walked in to find a somewhat dismal Haldroun sitting on his cot. Haldroun had expected another Black Floor guard or Torture master, and sighed with relief when he saw Thire walk through the door.

"Expecting me to be someone I'm not, Haldroun?" asked Thire, with a smirk.

"Who, a torturer? Yes, actually. But don't say thats something you're not, Mr. Blackdawn. Everyone has a dark side, Thire, all that matters is what happens when your dark side is unleashed."

Thire thought this over with consideration. Questioning what Haldroun had just said.

"Sure... Haldroun, I've got something of importance for you."

"Really? What is it? Another apple I hope." Haldroun stated with a comical ring to his voice

"Not exactly." Thire placed the package on the cot, "I received this package but ten minutes ago. I believe you know something about it."

Haldroun looked at it with intrigue, like a lost pet had come running back to its owner.

"Who gave this to you exactly?"

"That isn't entirely important at the moment. What is important is what is inside this box."

Haldroun kept his gaze on the package, looking at it with great distress.

"Well, its one of two things... One, it could be an explosive charge, or Two...a drug shipment."

Thire looked at Haldroun with disbelief.

"Are...are you sure?"

"Aye, I recognize this packaging. The runners use it for special deliveries. Wether its delivering substances or delivering death. Only the higher members have access to these packages. Where did you get it from again?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Tell me. I'm an understanding man."

"Heh... The warden."

"Really... Then it makes sense. I think we've found the leader of the cartel. Your Warden."

"Wait... This makes no sense at all! The warden is an honorable man, he wouldn't dare do any of this!"

"Would he? Do you honestly trust him?"

Thire sat on this notion. He had experienced the warden's fury, his disappointments, and his insults. For a moment, he lost his trust in the warden.

"...I trust him as far as my profession goes... beyond that, No. No, I do not. We need to get this package open..."

"Aye."

Thire and Haldroun proceeded to open the package. They took great care in removing the brown linen, as they did not want to set off anything explosive. They lifted the top off the box to find a large amount of Bloodthistle leaves underneath a small blue piece of parchment.

"Well, its not a bomb... Lucky us..." Haldroun looked up towards Thire, who kept his eyes fixed on the package, his hand trembling slightly

"Err... Haldroun..." Thire pointed at a metallic object that covered the bottom of the package. A light ticking could be heard emanating from the center.

"Well, its a bomb... Lucky us..." Haldroun wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I've dealt with this before...Disarming these bombs... We've got to find the timer, it should be near the center towards the left.."

Thire pushed aside the leaves and the note, and found the timer. Three wires extended into the bomb, one red, one blue, one green. Haldroun looked at the timer, and gulped in fright.

"The timer.. is set to fifteen minutes... I think we might be in a _bit _of a situation here."

"Really now?"

"Hold on, Hold on... I can do this..." Haldroun started to hum a tune, followed by a song "King Varian Wrynn, leader of the free, walked on Elywnn's forest of green...not bludgeoned in red, by death's decree, but rather taken a hostage on the blue great sea... Blue..."

Haldroun pulled out the blue wire with speed. After a few seconds, the timer stopped.

"Well...that was a close one..." Haldroun said, with some relief. "Looks like your warden has some explaining to do"

A few hours later

Thire stormed through the administration offices. He carried with him the disarmed bomb and the shipment of Bloodthistle. He opened the door marked 'Warden' without knocking, something uncommon for him. He barged into the Warden's tea time, but Silas was not agitated whatsoever.

"Ah, Thire. How are you? I hope the package I gave you was delivered safely." The warden was sipping another small glass of Mint tea.

"What the hell did you make me deliver!" Thire yelled in rage.

"I don't know why you're so angry, Blackdawn. It was a simple package."

"Simple,eh. It was simple alright. A shipment of Bloodthistle?? What are you doing having me being a runner for drugs!"

"A runner? That package was confiscated from another runner we found in the city! It was to be handed to a Government official for testing."

"A government official? Would you send a government agent a Bomb? _An armed bomb_?" Thire held up the device "I'm starting to question your credibility, Warden."

"How did you disarm it??" The warden asked as if the bomb was designed to be fool-proof.

"Had Haldroun do it. You know, HF-11. The man you had me question."

"Really now..."

"Believe it, Silas... I don't know why you imprisoned him. He seems completely innocent of the crimes you've burdened him with."

"So, you trust him? You trust a man so dangerous we had to place him on the Maroon floor?"

"I certainly trust him more than I trust you, Warden."

"What if I told you a secret. A secret about HF-11 that I have withheld from you for a long time..."

"What Silas. Another lie? Another one of your schemes to get me to do your bidding?"

"No more lies, Only truth."

"Fine then. Let me hear it. Tell me the story, eh?"

"What if I told you the man who killed your wife was not a fugitive, but rather imprisoned here in this jail. "

"What are you saying Silas..."

"Oh, don't tell me a man as smart as you hasn't thought about it? A man as smart as you hasn't given it a notion?"

"No... No, he couldn't. He's not of that caliber."

"Is he? Two counts of murder. One for an 'herb' salesman. Another for a Knight who happened to be on patrol..."

Thire looked at Silas with extreme fury. He came to an epiphany, that this man might have murdered his wife.

"What do you want me to do, Warden..."

"Question him. Get his side of the story. I'll bet it checks out. Do that for me, and I'll give you answers about that package..."

Thire grudgingly walked towards Maroon block, vengeance boiling inside of him.


	8. Nor hell a fury

Chapter 8

Thire marched down the halls of the Prison with vehemence. His hand was balled into a fist that burned with a passionate fury. He felt as if he could set the whole complex ablaze with his anger. He stormed through several groups of guards, knocking over a few in frustration. He reached the Maroon level and looked up a flight of stairs at cellblock 64. This was it, this is where he would find the answers he needed. He burst open the Cell door, charging at Haldroun.

"So, what did your war-" Haldroun said with a jolly demeanor.

Thire cut off the mage, grabbing him by the collar of his dirtied garbs. He held him in mid-air, where Haldroun was dangling with surprise.

"Tell me about the two people you killed that night they arrested you... What did they look like?!" Thire ordered with a cold voice

"I-I..I don't know what you're talking ab-" Haldroun said with shock, before being slammed against the cell wall

"Describe them! Now!"

"One was...was a male, he had jet black hair and red robes..." Haldroun replied

"And? What about the Knight!!"

"I..I couldn't get a good look at her! She had scarlet hair...she had scarlet hair, and she was a bit shorter than me..."

Thire could not believe it. All this time was the man who had committed the atrocity that condemned him to months of sorrow and anguish. He was there in his grasp the entire time, but instead of following his hunch about the murders, he sat there and gained his trust... and put trust in him.

"Son of a bitch!" Thire threw Haldroun across the cell, where he crashed into the iron barricade. "You sat there and you spoon fed me your bullshit, and I ate it up!! I cannot believe this. And you're a Frostfury? You either are a lowly thug looking for some cheap recognition in this hellhole, or you're a disgrace to your family name. Do you know who that Knight was?? That was my wife! That was the woman I cherished most, and you took her away!"

Thire took the bruised mage to a corner, and had his revenge upon him. He battered him to a pulp, mangling his facial features. He did not relent, he felt like after all this time, Haldroun deserved it. He stopped only for a second to wipe the sweat from his brow, and he continued the beating. Haldroun finally found the strength to push Thire away. He coughed up a small amount of blood before speaking to the vengeful Knight.

"Do you really know what happened that night?? Do you! I killed that man because he was a dealer, I killed him because he got me addicted to that wretched leaf!! Thats why I was shaking the first time we met, I was going through withdrawl symptoms! I killed that man for revenge!! _Revenge! _Not so I could be a murderer or some criminal! I did it to turn my life around! But look where I am now, In this hellish place! I did what you are trying to do, and I got nothing but misery... I am truly sorry for killing your wife, but I had no choice. She charged me as you did. She attacked me with the same emotionlessness you possessed. I did what I could to protect myself, and it unfortunately ended in her death... I'm apologize, I truly do..."

Thire stood there, listening to the blood-washed elf. He had no remorse in his eyes, only the frozen sting of vengeance. He realized however, that in his rage, Thire had become as gruesome and as immoral as the people who worked on the black floor.

"Are...are you going to kill me now?" asked the beaten mage

"I will decide your fate tomorrow..." replied Thire with a grim voice.

Haldroun nodded as Thire left the cell. He was confused, however. Why would the warden give him an assignment concerning his wife's murderer? Why would he withhold such information? Why would he betray Thire's trust? Thire needed answers, and he needed them now. But from where? The Warden? He is about as trusty as a merciless drug lord, which was probably what he was. The only answers he would get from him would be concerning the package, and that level of information was no where near the amount of answers he needed. Thire then remembered the address written on his arm, the place where Haldroun said he would find answers. Even though he had lost trust in the magister, he realized that the magister still had trust in him. So he set off to the address, awaiting answers.

Thire stood in murder row, looking at the dark shops and dangerous enclaves. Every thing was darker in this part of the city, even in midday it seemed like twilight. He found the place he was directed to, a small fortune telling shop. Thire wondered why he would want to see a quack mystic for answers, but he went in away, feeling as if this was the place where answers could be found. Before even opening the door, Thire heard a voice beckon out at him.

"Be comin' in, ya?" said an elderly troll voice.

Thire walked into the shop to find an old, blind troll woman sitting on a small pillow. She wore shamanistic clothing that emanated an aura of power. Even though she couldn't see, she could sense Thire's presence.

"Hello shaman, I am-"

"Thire, Thire Blackdawn ya? I been expectin ya fa ages now. Da man in da cell, he sent ya 'ere didn't 'e?"

"Err... Yes, yes he did, elder shaman."

"O' please, be callin' me Yo'jim. I be da keeper of dis place, an' its inhabitants..."

"Right... How did you know I would be here, and that Haldroun sent me?"

"O', dar be many ways to be seenin' into da future! Some tings are never clear, but joo has a destiny Thire... Ya experiences have molded ya fate, and thus I can look in ta things not yet done. Ya seek answers don't ja?"

"Yes, Yo'jim. I have been deprived of answers for almost two months now, and I hope you can help me."

"O' yes, o' yes. I can help ya. But first ya must be willin' to do as I say, ja?" Yo'jim threw Thire a small brown bag filled with green leaves.

"Hold on...This is Bloodthistle! Why are you giving me Bloodthistle!?"

"Ya must be'com ya antithesis if ya be wantin the answers joo seek, Thire. Go to da room on de left and put de leaves into da fire. Be makin sure the room be sealed shut, correct?"

"Yes, Yo'jim." With that, Thire walked into the room. The room contained a small brazier that burned with a solemn flame. There was a large bench near the wall made of old, cracked wood. Thire hesitantly put the leaves into the brazier, where they burned with enormous speed. Soon smoke filled the room, and Thire sat on the bench waiting for something to happen. Soon, the fire started to burn a bright white that covered the room. It seemed the melt the walls into a pearl white state. Everything started to illuminate, even Thire's armor turned white. It seemed heavenly, serene, something that Thire had yearned for. He looked towards the other end of the room to find a woman. She was human, wearing Judgement armor.

"Hello Thire." said the woman, whose voice was soft and reassuring

"Who are you?" asked Thire, who was still sitting on the bench

"Who I am is not important, Thire. What I am is. I am a manifestation of the Light, Thire. I watch over and protect those who uphold morality, peace, and the greater good. But the definition of 'the greater good' seems to be blurred here in Silvermoon. The so-called wielders of the light are misguided, soul-less... but you Thire, you are a true tenant of the light."

"Thank you... But I am not here for talk... I need answers."

"And answers you will receive. There is something amiss here. Your service to Warden Silas. You have a dedication to service, Thire... but you have been dedicated to a corrupt service. Your warden has distracted you from what you should be doing, helping the people of Silvermoon."

"Yes... but what am I to do? The warden is much to powerful for me to do anything!"

"You must do what you think is right."

"What? Retribution??"

"No... Redemption. You must redeem yourself for what you have done, Thire. You must end this facade." The woman faded away, and the room returned to normal. Thire woke up on the floor, sweating profusely. His vision was somewhat blurred, but it returned to normal after time. He walked out of the room somewhat disoriented.

"Did ja find answers, mon?" asked Yo'jim

"Yes...Yes I did..." said Thire

"Good...good. Be on ya way, Thire."

Thire walked out of the shop, knowing what he had to do. He went towards the prison, seeking to end the shroud of lies and distrust around him. Again, he broke into the warden's office. He saw the warden inspecting the bomb before Silas turned to face him.

"So, did you question him?" asked Silas with a smirk

"Yes...its true... he did kill her..."

"And did you kill him, Thire? Did you claim your righteous vengeance?"

"No... he doesn't deserve to die..."

"What do you mean, Blackdawn??? He killed the one person who was closest to you and you're not going to do anything?"

"I did what I tried to do... He killed that drug runner out of vengeance! While we're on the topic, I want the truth... are you the cartel leader?"

Silas stared at Thire for a moment

"I took the cartel over, yes... But for reasons I must explain, Thire..." Silas pulled out the small blue paper that was inside the package. "This is the system you received from HF-11. Do you know why I put it in the package?"

Thire stood in silence

"I'm trying to make this drug safer, for the public. This leaf has special properties, that make us stronger, more alert. I'm trying to make this race more powerful!"

"By making a drug a bit less dangerous?? This is destroying Silvermoon, you said it yourself!"

"I lied! I did! I needed your trust, and it worked. This is for the greater good!"

"Quit lecturing me about the greater good, Silas! Did you need my trust so that I could question Haldroun?"

"I had you question HF-11 because I needed to know if you could kill someone on notice... even if they were trusted peers! Thats the kind of iron will it takes to survive here, and if you cannot adopt that kind of demeanor, you will not survive."

"I'm through with this, Warden. I'm done with you. I'm going to release Haldroun, and there is no way in hell you can stop me."

Thire headed towards the oak door, but before he could leave, Silas charged towards him.

"I'm stopping you now, Blackdawn!" Silas ran towards the knight, a twisted dagger in his hand. Thire reacted just in time, brandishing his broadsword. In taking out his weapon, however, Thire struck a near fatal blow on Silas. The warden wore no armor, as he thought he was in no danger. He was sadly mistaken. He fell to the ground with a painful thud.

"Garh... You...fool! Get a...get a medic!" Silas begged for help

"I'm sorry, Silas..." Thire looked down at his former mentor before taking off his service badge, "But I do not take orders from drug lords." Thire realized that the Warden would be able to alert someone if he wasn't dealt with. He looked around for something to silence him. He found some rope, in which he would tie his mouth up. He also found the bomb he was told to deliver. He re-wired it, placing it on the fine wooden desk the warden cherished so much.

"Special delivery, Warden. See you in another life." Thire walked out of the office, leaving the warden to his fate.


	9. Redemption

Chapter 9

Thire had realized what he had done, leaving the warden to die a violent death. He regretted that it had to come to either Thire or Silas dying. But this was a matter of survival, and Thire had intended to survive. He walked towards the customs office, where the prisoner's belongings were kept. He knew that Haldroun was a powerful mage, a Frostfury at that, and if he was going to escape he would need his magical gear. 

"Hello, Knight Shadowcut." Thire said, walking into the spacious room. The room was well lit and contained hundreds of cabinets and boxes holding various kinds of armor and weapons confiscated from the inmates. An orange level knight sat a large desk connected to the wall.

" 'Alo Blackdawn. Needing anything?" asked the Guard in a friendly manner

"Yes, I do. I need HF-11857-4's equipment for arcane examination." Thire stated with a calm voice.

"HF-11857-4? I'm not sure his items are up for examination. You are positive?"

"Aye, the Warden has taken special interest in them. He sent me to get the equipment."

Shadowcut left his desk and went down a long, seemingly endless isle of storage towers. Thire waited patiently, and soon enough the Knight came with a large box and a staff. The staff was long with a green crystal at the top. It shone an eerie glow that seemed to block out surrounding light. The box contained red flowing robes that represented the epitome of luxury, along with a red shirt, some boots, a pair of gloves, and four mana crystals. All of these items emitted arcane power, and were essential to getting Haldroun out.

"This seems a bit strange, Blackdawn. You can leave with your gear, but I'm checking with the Warden later." said Shadowcut, staring down Thire.

Thire paused for a minute before walking out the door.

"The Warden is dead, Thalanos." Thire remarked, keeping his back to the guard.

"Wh...What?" Shadowcut ran towards Thire, but he was already far away from the Customs room. Thalanos then ran to the guard barracks in order to help Warden Silas

6:30 left

Thire ran towards the Maroon Floor, making sure he didn't drop the box and the staff. He ran past several guards, ramming into a few in fact. He said his apologizes in haste, for he had little time before guards would start coming after him with righteous fury. He finally reached the cellblock, rushing towards Haldroun.

2:45 left

Thalanos, along with a few orange level guards, ran into the warden's office. The warden laid on the floor like a hunted animal about to be put out of its misery. Blood trickled from his stomach and robes to the point where it started to stain the fine tile floor. The guards, in their confusion and hurry, did not notice the device on the oak desk.

"Get a medic, quickly!" yelled Thalanos at one of his fellow guardsmen, "We've got to get his condition stabilized if we are to save him!"

1:25 left

The warden was unconscious, but mumbling words. Thalanos struggled to hear what Silas was saying exactly.

"Hmph...Blood...bloodthisle..." the warden spoke in a harsh voice.

0:52 seconds left 

"What? Why are you talking about drugs, Warden? Warden?"

"Urghmm...Blackdawn...Prisoner...Escape..."

"Blackdawn...He did this... It was Blackdawn! Find Blackdawn!" Thalanos yelled to the remaining guards around him

0:20 seconds

"B..bomb..." the warden mumbled

"What are you..." Thalanos looked at the desk and the explosive device that slowly ticked.

0:12 seconds

"By the sunwell..." He whispered, dread filling inside of him.

0:06 seconds left

"Get the hell out of here! Get the-" screamed at the Guard who still remained

0:00 seconds left. An enormous eruption of fire blew apart the warden's domain, and obliterated Slias and Knight Shadowcut. A Shockwave sent earthquakes through the Prison, leaving almost everybody shaken. The last knight who was with the dying warden and the doomed Knight Shadowcut was throw twenty feet backwards. He scampered back to his feet and sped towards the orange barracks.

Thire closed the cellblock barricade and rushed over to room five. He went through his inventory, searching for the cell key. Finding the small bronze rod, he inserted it into the keyhole and threw the door open. Haldroun was sitting on the metal bed, wiping off some of the blood on his face with his standard prison garbs. He face was somewhat scarred due to the damage inflicted by Thire. He looked up at the prison guard before staring at the ground.

"You again...didn't you say you were going to decide my fate tomorrow?" Haldroun spoke with a hint of anger

"No time for that now... I'm deciding your fate now. I'm getting you out of here."

"Heh...A clever jest, Thire. Trying to get me to leave my cell so you can shove a sword in me? I know you want retribution Thire..."

"Not retribution, redemption. Put your robes on, we won't have much time before guards start firing arrows and swinging swords at us." Thire handed Haldroun his box of equipment, his staff, and the few mana crystals inside the box. He felt something, however. Thire felt a resurgence of hope inside of him, as if the light he had stolen had accepted him. He felt clean of the taint that the fel energies around him had provided.

"What about your Warden? I'm sure he's going to kill you for this." Haldroun said, slipping on his clothing.

"I've taken care of him."

"What do you-"

Suddenly, an incredible sound resonated throughout the complex. The floor shook violently for a moment, almost knocking Thire and Haldroun off their feet.

"What the hell was that, Thire?"

"As I've said, I have taken care of the warden... We don't have time for chatting, Haldroun."

"Right." Haldroun grabbed his staff and absorbed the crystals Thire had given him. "I can handle myself to a certain extent, Thire, but I'm going to need you for some protection."

Before Thire could confirm, he heard the Cellblock doors open, along with a couple of pairs of footsteps. Thire and the mage ran out of the cell to see several well-armed guards rushing towards them. Each carried a gruesome broadsword that could easily cut down the toughest of opponents. The two were not out-matched however, as Thire was an expert swordsman.

"This is for Silas, scum!" said one of the charging Knights. He lifted his sword up to cut Thire in two, but Thire was faster. he parried the attack before cutting through the Knight's shin and torso. Four other guards, however, attacked in unison. Thire stood with vigor, ready to defend himself, suddenly, a voice yelled from behind.

"Thire, get down!"

Thire rolled away as Haldroun unleashed a torrent of flame at the group. The inferno was so intense it started to melt the metal walls. When the fire and smoke cleared, all that was left was a few charred bodies writhing in agony.

"Impressive!" said Thire, "I suppose thats why they kept you on the Maroon level."

They continued out of the cellblock only to encounter a legion of guards and archers. The guard from the warden's office must have alerted the rest of the guards. As soon as the group saw the two, they launched a barrage of arrows . Thire pulled out his shield and protected his upper body, blocking most of the projectiles. He was knicked by a few, but they did not hinder his pace. Haldroun summoned entire shards of ice and hurled them towards the attackers. Five archers fell in the process, lightening the storm of arrows by an amount.

"How are we going to get out of here, Thire? We can't just walk out the front door!" Haldroun said while ejecting lances of ice from his hands.

"Can't you create portals to other places!" Thire asked, keeping his aegis up.

"Yes, I can! But I need reagents, a rune of portals!"

Thire thought about where they could find reagents. He then remembered, the guard supplies room. Even though most of the prison staff was made up of paladins, there were a few mages that worked on the black and maroon levels. They would have to descend a few flights of stairs to get there, however.

"Follow me, Haldroun." Thire said, indicating towards the supply room.

They started down the iron stairs that separated the different cellblocks on this level. Along the way, more and more archers fell, but for every one marksman there was at least four more.

"There is a slight problem, however. I can only teleport within cities. I will try to alter the spell in order to get us into the countryside, but the portal might become unstable." said Haldroun

"Thats good enough! Can you determine exactly where the portal will appear?" asked Thire, making sure his head was covered by the large metal shield.

"Within a few hundred meters, yes!"

They were almost there, salvation was only a few meters away. On one of the cellblock balconies, however, two archers primed arrows to hit the two. As Haldroun made his way into the storage room, the archers fired. Neither one of them saw the arrows coming, but Thire, who was completely outside of the room, took both arrows in some of the weak spots of his armor. He cried in pain as he fell over to the ground. One was stuck in his back, near the spine, while another was lodged in his thigh. The archers recognized their successful hits, and primed two more shots for the former guard's head.

"Thire! Get over here!" Haldroun yelled. He assumed that Thire had only tripped, as he did not see the arrows. The archers fired together, one arrow missing its mark, another hitting Thire's neck. As Thire slumped over from his kneeling positon, Haldroun rushed over to him, dragging the assaulted guard into the supply room. He then threw up a huge wall of Ice around them, in order to protect the duo.

"By the sunwell!" said Haldroun, examining the wounds. "Don't worry, I'll get us out of here. I'll get you to a healer or something..."

"The...mountains...northeast of...the city.." said Thire. His vision started blur, and he started to lose consciousness. Everything brightened to an extreme, turning pure white. The woman from Yo'jim's shop appeared to him in front of a large winding staircase.

"Its time." said the Paladin. Thire nodded, and followed her to his fate.

"Thire? Thire!" Haldroun tried to wake the elf up, to no avail. The ice barricade started to shatter as numerous guards attempted to tear it down. Haldroun frantically searched around for the reagent he needed. Finding the glowing stone, he opened up a portal to the mountains Thire had specified. He grabbed the dead knight and threw him on his shoulder

"Here goes...nothing!" Haldroun jumped through the fluctuating portal, just as the guards had broken down his icy wall...

It was nearly sunset in the mountains near Silvermoon. The last gleaming beams of sunlight shined brightly and with an intense vigor. The trees swayed silently as a cool breeze blew throughout rocky passes. About five feet above the ground, a small distortion appeared. Soon the ripple in space and time transformed into a full portal. Haldroun flew out of the apeture, with Thire's dead body landing with a hard thud. He looked over to his dead savior, and strangely enough, his eyes glowed a sharp sapphire blue. He had been cleansed of the fel taint that had corrupted the rest of his race. He was redeemed.

"Thank you, Thire... But why the mountains..." Haldroun picked up Thire and looked up the winding mountain path they had landed on. He saw a large elven manor, and assumed that that was were Thire wanted him to go...

A few days later...

Several people were crowded around a Sepulcher. They were all in black suits and dresses, holding large bouquets of white flowers. A man spoke about those. who were laid to rest here. Some of the mourners were crying, others in respectful silence. After the elf was done speaking, he walked over to another mourner.

"I understand how you were indirectly responsible for the death of my son... But I do not blame you. He did a good thing getting out of that...hellish place. You have my forgiveness, Haldroun."

"Thank you, Aldonus." replied the Mage

"What are you going to do now? Where are you going to go?"

"Heh... Haven't figured much of it out yet. I'm going to try to stay under the grid for now... The Blood Knights probably have a bounty on my head. Thats all i've really planned. Perhaps I'll exile in Kalimdor."

"Whatever you try to accomplish, Haldroun, good luck with it."

"Thank you..."

And with that, Haldroun walked away towards a future of strife.

End.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank everyone for their positive support of my first Fan fic. Special thanks to Python for the tips and suggestions that made this story great. Within a week or so you'll see the first chapter of my new fan fic, The Kalimdor Four. Its an adventure of epic proportions and it will be even more fantastic that Deadbolt.

Namaste, and Be Happy.

venator


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